What happened on 11 September was a genuine watershed in world history: things are not going to be the same again. Obviously a number of changes that have occurred have been for the worse. But the shock of 911 has also produced a number of changes which - if they can be sustained, and that's a big "if" - have the potential to make the world a better, safer and saner place than it has been.

The international response to the terrorist threat must have four clearly delineated objectives, and it is absolutely crucial that they work in harmony. These are: punishing the perpetrators of past attacks, building cooperative defences against future acts of terrorism, and addressing the political and security issues, as well as the economic, social and cultural issues, that feed grievances. Efforts will also have to be focused on managing current tensions, including the immediate challenges in Afghanistan, the question of Iraq, and the need to stabilise Central Asia.

Six years after Dayton, one year after Milosevic - and two months more or less out of sight since 11 September - the Western Balkans are not out of trouble. A series of core issues, each with the capacity to run out of control again, remain unsettled, in particular the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia. For each of these big three issues, a touch of genius may be required to resolve them.

JAKARTA. Alarmist reports about Osama bin Laden's terrorist network in Indonesia have appeared in the international press. It is of course possible that some individuals have been recruited secretly by bin Laden's Qaida organization. It is probable that radical Islamic groups have received financial support from Qaida. But evidence is lacking to show that such links have decisively influenced their behavior.